"English asparagus is in great demand"

Julia Colgrave posing at Wykham Park Farm with a bunch of freshly harvested asparagus Photograph: Mimi Mollica for the Guardian

I've always had a passion for gardening. I married into a farming family and I just fancied having a go! So, 20 years ago, I planted my first three acres of asparagus and crossed my fingers …

I remember our first harvest. I went to do the school run and left some bundles at my back door with an honesty box; when I got back, all but one bundle had sold. I suddenly realised that perhaps we were on to something. When I was a child, a few people with very smart vegetable gardens had asparagus, but it wasn't widely available. Until shortly before I started growing it, I had only ever had it from a tin.

Demand in the UK has grown astronomically since then, but the supply still isn't there. People often ask me why, at the height of the season, supermarkets often only have Peruvian or American asparagus in stock. It's simply because we don't produce enough locally. The big problem is, of course, the weather. Asparagus is extremely temperature-sensitive and the British weather just isn't dependable. (This year, the season is about three weeks late.) But when the weather is right, the volume escalates overnight – it doesn't just quadruple, it goes berserk!

Over the years, we've grown and gained more professional expertise. We now have about 55 acres, producing in excess of 50 tonnes of asparagus a year. We sell through our farm shop and to local restaurants and farm shops further afield. The bulk of our crop ends up in Waitrose.

We have an influx of labour from eastern Europe in March – they come for the planting and stay on until the end of the harvest. At our busiest time, there are about 20 people working in the fields. If we have glorious sunshine, they will pick around 1½ tonnes per day, all by hand.

I love the sense of expectation you get with asparagus. It heralds the arrival of summer. Imported varieties can be had at other times of the year, but the flavour is never the same. I love watching it push up through the soil. When you're out there first thing in the morning and the birds are singing, it can be idyllic.

Lamb Argenteuil

This is a winning combination of flavours: tender lamb and asparagus cooked in a delicious sauce of pureed spears.

Roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar

1 Preheat the oven to 220C/450F/gas mark 8. In a large, shallow baking tin, toss the asparagus with oil, salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for around 10 minutes, shaking the pan every 3 minutes, until it is tender and lightly browned.

2 Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the vinegar over the asparagus. Give the tin a good shake to combine them well and serve with a grating of fresh parmesan shavings.